I Love My Dad

Directed by James Morosini, I Love My Dad follows Patton Oswalt’s Chuck as he catfishes his son (Morosini’s Franklin) in an effort at repairing the broken bond between them. It’s a decidedly oddball premise that’s employed to erratic yet generally entertaining effect by Morosini, as the filmmaker delivers a relatively brisk comedy that benefits from a smattering of engrossing sequences and Oswalt’s stellar, captivating performance – with, in terms of the latter, Oswalt turning in subtle work that prevents Chuck from turning into the one-dimensional monster one might’ve anticipated. There’s little doubt, however, that Morosini’s often relentlessly off-kilter approach to the material sometimes makes it difficult to wholeheartedly connect with the story and characters, with the most obvious (and distracting) example of this Morosini’s decision to place Chuck’s invented girlfriend, which he’s based on a real waitress (Claudia Sulewski’s Becca), in front of Franklin during their texting sessions. Minor missteps like that wreak havoc on I Love My Dad‘s momentum and ensure that the movie isn’t, for the most part, as compelling or affecting as Morosini has surely intended, and yet the picture, buoyed by an admittedly stirring final stretch, ultimately comes off as a decent-enough endeavor that boasts an almost impressive amount of cringe-worthy scenes and sequences.

**1/2 out of ****